An In vitro Study on Spontaneous Cervical Contractility in the Cow During Oestrus and Diestrus

Cervical smooth muscle specimens were collected from slaughtered cows in oestrus and diestrus. Longitudinal and circular specimens were mounted in organ baths and after equilibration time and 2 g pre-load, their physiologic isometric contractility was recorded for 2.5 h. Area under the curve (AUC), maximal amplitude (A m a x ), mean amplitude (A m e a n ) and minimal amplitude (A m i n ) were studied. Differences between cycle phases, between muscle layers and over the recorded time periods were statistically evaluated using linear mixed-effect models. In the cow, physiologic contractility of the cervix decreased significantly over time for all variables evaluated (time as covariate on a continuous scale). Furthermore, for A m a x , there was a tendency for an influence of muscle layer (longitudinal > circular). Contractility was not influenced by cycle phases.